Indian, With A Twist
INDIAN, WITH A TWIST
She poses majestically, every curve and contour sculpted and polished to perfection. From tires to taillight, ammeter to gas caps, every aspect of Gaétan Page's 1941 Indian Four exudes beauty—except this life-size dream machine is built entirely from wood. A modern-day Geppetto, the cabinet-maker from St.Athanase, a town south of Montreal, Quebec, spent 10 years bringing his wooden wonder to life. Every detail-from the smallest screw to the intricate wiring-replicates the original. The bike boasts 3365 pieces, all carefully glued into place. The parts that are supposed to move-handlebars, pedals, sidestand and wheels-all do.
Pagé investigated numerous types of wood to find ones that would bend to his will to form a particular shape and furnish the most authentic look. He chiseled most of the bike, including the tires, from several kinds of pine. In all, 14 types of wood were used.
“There were times when I wanted to set the thing on fire!” he admitted. No evidence of frustration marks the final product, however. Every surface was sanded and polished to show off the best of each wood’s natural finish. Asked whether he would consider selling his work of art, Pagé hesitates and then says yes, if the price were right. And what price would that be? Pagé would like a keen admirer of the wooden vehicle to tell him.
Julia Gedeon Matusky
